Stand Up for Your National Monuments

You Can Help Protect Our Rivers

Colorado Trout Unlimited has over 10,000 members representing 23 chapters across the state. They act as advocates and conservators for their home rivers, conducting projects in stream restoration, water quality protection, and more. The on-the-ground, grassroots efforts of our members and volunteers are what sets CTU apart from most other conservation groups.

Legislative Advocacy

Responsible Use

Though perhaps best known for its role in defeating the Two Forks Dam proposal in 1980, Colorado Trout Unlimited’s influence can be seen on hundreds of miles of rivers ranging from Durango to Denver to Fort Collins.

Southern Basins

In the Field

Our blog serves as the news and information hub for the Colorado Trout Unlimited community. The contributions are from and for people with National Trout Unlimited, Colorado Trout Unlimited, and local chapters of Colorado Trout Unlimited. We encourage all members to read and post often!

Events

Volunteer

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Colorado Trout Unlimited is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and the Colorado afilliate of Trout Unlimited recognized by Charity Navigator as a four-star charity. Your donations are 100% tax-deductible. Thank you for your generous support!

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North Basins

Lower Colorado-Roaring Fork

The Colorado River below Dotsero supports outstanding trout fisheries until it transitions into warmwater conditions, and its tributaries like the Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Rivers are legendary fishing waters. From these major rivers – to the many smaller feeder streams that supply them and support wild and native trout fisheries of their own – Colorado TU and its Grand Valley Anglers and Ferdinand Hayden Chapters are true riverkeepers.

Threats, Programs & Projects

Roan Plateau. The Roan Plateau near Rifle supports rare populations of native cutthroat trout, outstanding big game, and unique stream and riparian environments carved into its shale formations. Recognized by Field & Stream as one of the “best wild places,” the Roan has been at the center of controversy over how to appropriately develop its natural gas, with Colorado TU calling for development through directional drilling to avoid sensitive lands and waters atop the Plateau. Colorado TU is part of a Federal lawsuit challenging leases that were issued for unwise development atop the Roan; at the same time, with our Grand Valley Anglers chapter, we are engaged in restoration projects on the Roan with support from industry partners.

Hydropower in the Roaring Fork valley. Colorado TU and our Ferdinand Hayden Chapter have been a voice for responsible energy development, calling on the City of Aspen to ensure that its proposals for re-establishing a hydropower facility on Castle Creek ensure appropriate flows to protect downstream habitats. This is part of ongoing statewide efforts to ensure that hydropower development takes place in responsible ways that protect river values.

Securing water quality. Local Colorado TU volunteers help collect water quality information through the RiverWatch program in partnership with the Division of Wildlife. Their efforts have provided data that allowed us to secure strong water quality protections for multiple native trout streams in this basin – including sensitive streams atop the Roan Plateau.

Restoring native trout on Battlement Mesa. Colorado TU’s Grand Valley Anglers chapter is a key funding partner in supporting a US Forest Service project to rebuild the spillway on one of the small reservoirs atop Battlement Mesa, allowing it to be refilled and to then serve as a refuge habitat for native Colorado River cutthroat trout.

Join CTU

Colorado TU has 10,000+ members in 24 chapters across the state. They are the lifeblood of the organization, the reason we can say that Colorado TU is the state’s largest grassroots conservation organization.